158 Chapter 5 Introduction to Differential Analysis of Fluid Motion

The components of acceleration

!
in cylindrical coordinates may be obtained from Eq. 5.10
by expressing the velocity, V , in cylindrical coordinates (Section 5.1) and utilizing the appropriate
expression (Eq. 3.19, on the web) for the vector operator ∇. Thus,3

∂Vr Vθ ∂Vr Vθ2 ∂Vr ∂Vr

arp = Vr + − + Vz + ð5:12aÞ
∂r r ∂θ r ∂z ∂t
∂Vθ Vθ ∂Vθ Vr Vθ ∂Vθ ∂Vθ
aθp = Vr + + + Vz + ð5:12bÞ
∂r r ∂θ r ∂z ∂t
∂Vz Vθ ∂Vz ∂Vz ∂Vz
azp = Vr + + Vz + ð5:12cÞ
∂r r ∂θ ∂z ∂t

Equations 5.9, 5.11, and 5.12 are useful for computing the acceleration of a fluid particle anywhere
in a flow from the velocity field (a function of x, y, z, and t); this is the Eulerian method of description, the
most-used approach in fluid mechanics.
As an alternative (e.g., if we wish to track an individual particle’s motion in, for example, pollution
studies) we sometimes use the Lagrangian description of particle motion, in which the acceleration,
position, and velocity of a particle are specified as a function of time only. Both descriptions are illus-
trated in Example 5.5.

Example 5.5 PARTICLE ACCELERATION IN EULERIAN AND LAGRANGIAN DESCRIPTIONS

Consider two-dimensional, steady, incompressible

!
flow through the plane converging channel shown. The velocity on the hor-
izontal centerline (x axis) is given by V = V1 ½1 + ðx=LÞ^i. Find an expression for the acceleration of a particle moving along the
centerline using (a) the Eulerian approach and (b) the Lagrangian approach. Evaluate the acceleration when the particle is at the
beginning and at the end of the channel.

Given: Steady, two-dimensional, incompressible flow through the converging channel shown.
y
!
 x
V = V1 1 + ^i on x axis x
V
L
x2 = L
Find: (a) The acceleration of a particle moving along the centerline using the Eulerian approach. x1 = 0
(b) The acceleration of a particle moving along the centerline using the Lagrangian approach.
(c) Evaluate the acceleration when the particle is at the beginning and at the end of the
channel.
Solution:
(a) The Eulerian approach
The governing equation for acceleration of a fluid particle is Eq. 5.9:
! ! ! ! !
! DV ∂V ∂V ∂V ∂V
ap ðx, y, z, tÞ =
=u +υ +w +
Dt ∂x ∂y ∂z ∂t
In this case we are interested in the x component of acceleration (Eq. 5.11a):

Du ∂u ∂u ∂u ∂u
axp ðx,y,z, tÞ = =u +υ +w + ð5:11aÞ
Dt ∂x ∂y ∂z ∂t

! !
3
In evaluating ðV  ∇ÞV , recall that e^r and e^θ are functions of θ (see footnote 1 on p. 150).
 5.3 Motion of a Fluid Particle (Kinematics) 159

 x
On the x axis, υ = w = 0 and u = V1 1 + , so for steady flow we obtain
L
Du ∂u  x  V1
axp ðxÞ = = u = V1 1 +
Dt ∂x L L
or
V12  x axp ðxÞ
axp ðxÞ = 1+ 
L L
This expression gives the acceleration of any particle that is at point x at an instant.
(b) The Lagrangian approach
In this approach we need to obtain the motion of a fluid !
particle as we would in particle mechanics;
!
that is, we need the
! ! !
position xp ðtÞ, and then we can obtain the velocity V p ðtÞ = dxp =dt and acceleration ap ðtÞ = dV p =dt. Actually, we are
considering motion along the x axis, so we want xp ðtÞ, up ðtÞ = dxp =dt, and axp ðtÞ = dup =dt. We are not given xp ðtÞ, but
we do have
dxp  xp 
up = = V1 1 +
dt L
Separating variables, and using limits xp ðt = 0Þ = 0 and xp ðt = tÞ = xp ,
Z xp Z 1 
dxp xp 
 xp  = V1 dt and L ln 1 + = V1 t ð1Þ
0 1+ 0 L
L
We can then solve for xp ðtÞ :
xp ðtÞ = Lðe V1 t=L −1Þ
The velocity and acceleration are then
dxp
up ðtÞ = = V1 e V1 t=L
dt
and
dup V12 V1 t=L
axp ðtÞ = = e ð2Þaxp ðtÞ
dt L 
This expression gives the acceleration at any time t of the particle that was initially at x = 0.
(c) We wish to evaluate the acceleration when the particle is at x = 0 and x = L. For the Eulerian approach this is straightforward:

V12 V12 axp

azp ðx = 0Þ = , axp ðx = LÞ = 2 
L L
For the Lagrangian approach, we need to find the times at which x = 0 and x = L. Using Eq. 1, these are
L L
tðxp = 0Þ = tðxp = LÞ = lnð2Þ
V1 V1
Then, from Eq. (5.1),
V2
azp ðt = 0Þ = 1 , and
 L 
L V2 V2 axp
axp t = lnð2Þ = 1 e lnð2Þ = 2 1 
V1 L L
Note that both approaches yield the same results for particle acceleration, as This problem illustrates use of the
they should. Eulerian and Lagrangian descriptions of
the motion of a fluid particle.